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VM Underground caught up with Mike from Istra.

VMU: Hey, Mike. How you doing?
Mike: I'm always pretty good.

VMU: Could you tell us how Istra got started and who is the current line up?
Mike: No, I can't. Only because I don't know all of the story. Here is what I know. Dan, Tim, and Pat have been in a band together off and on since early high school. Prototype, and Mistaken, with various other members. Casey and I were in a punk band (15 years old here OK?) and we broke up. I knew before that he wanted to be in a harder band. When we split he got into a hardcore band. When I was about 19, Casey called me and asked if I would record some songs for his band. (I was recording on an 8 track mini-disc at the time in my rented house.) He had joined Tim, Pat and Dan, and was playing drums for them. They were singer-less, but Tim was going to fill that in. All my friends from high school were gone or drunk constantly, so the nights that these guys would come by were awesome. They were the first friends I ever had that were cool, and related to me spiritually, (of course, I already knew Casey). The Rockits (R.I.P.) would also come over often while these guys were recording, which was awesome. Pat was in this band also, and quit one night to be a Rockit full time. After listening to what they had recorded, I decided I really like it and had been trying to start a band of my own. I abandoned my small minded, "Punk Only" attitude and asked if they wanted a new singer. Of course they said, “No.” But eventually something changed there mind, and they picked me up from the musical gutter, and threw me on stage with a guitar and mic. I can't play guitar well, so the first 7 months were embarrassing. We all moved into a house together with Pat from the Rockits. He broke his back in a car accident and was hardly walking for months. When we heard he quit the Rockits we begged him to join and relieve us of the hellish nightmare that was my guitar playing, and I started using my hands instead to hold a microphone. We played our first show with Pat less than a week after he got his back brace off, so he couldn't bend. It was at a high school homecoming. So there you have it. Current and FINAL line-up: Pat, Dan, Mike, Tim Casey.

VMU: The heart of VMU is to cover basis on gear, production and live performances. I've been following you guys for a while and you guys have a studio, is that correct?
Mike: We HAD one. We just moved out, possibly to another location, possibly back to a garage.

VMU: Could you tell us about your studio gear and if computer recording what programs and hardware do you use?
Mike: We did our newest album on a Mac G4 with digital performer from MOTU. I have one Avalon pre, Presonnus pre's and compression, Shure, Audix, AKG, CAD mics, a four foot rack of junk, most of which wasn't used in the recording.

VMU: I own two of your indie releases. The first and "One Cold Way". Could you explain why [there is] such a big difference in sound between the two CDs?
Mike: Reason 1. Patrick William Walker. He wasn't around when we recorded the first record. Which means the guitar work on the left side was done by me. Which brings me to reason 2. I can't play guitar. I just did whatever Dan told me to. Also, we did that album after being together only four months. We originally recorded thirteen songs. The record has seven. Most of them had been written before I was in the band, including the words, so I just didn't feel it. I guess none of us had gotten in the groove yet. "A Mind Awake" seems very juvenile to me now. We were younger and less experienced. Although even "One Cold Way" is starting to feel the same way. It's almost that time again.

VMU: Were the CDs mastered? And how did you master them?
Mike: "A Mind Awake" was recorded, mixed and mastered by Pat Norton at his old studio in San Diego. It was this weird extra room above a church. "One Cold Way" was Mastered at Studio 9 in Pamona.

VMU: Who produced the releases?
Mike: We produced them both, by ourselves.

VMU: Explain how you got into producing and recording and how was your passion for music growing up?
Mike: My passion for music has just always been there. I pretended to be a rockstar when I was four, wearing only Underoos and a blanket like a cape. Cmon, that's what rock stars did in '86. I sang, loudly and obnoxiously, at all times. I still do this now. I got a guitar in high school, and then a set of drums, and never got great at either. My first recording experience was a song I wrote for my then girlfriend, now wife, in high school. I used a 16 track mixer from the 70's straight into my tape player in my room. I thought it was the most fun thing in the world. I was in a punk band at the time, and was writing songs, and only listening to NOFX, MxPx, Strung Out... I realized I was dying to know how recording was done, what was used, and how to do it. When I moved out at 18 I bought an 8 track, (the same that was used to entice ISTRA into letting me join.) I read every book Guitar Center had to sell on recording. They all said the same things. I was going to enter a recording program at Citrus College, but decided to open my own studio instead, after just recording people for myself for two years. I had been building up a collection of gear, and had just about enough for a decent studio. Since I was in a band, I knew a lot of musicians, and that has pretty much been my clientele.

VMU: Are there any techniques you use with your vocal skills as well (studio and live)?
Mike: I just do what I feel like doing.

VMU: Do you prefer live shows or studio time?
Mike: Live shows. cCmon now, can we compare the two? Be careful of Dan though, he'll jump out on top of you.

VMU: Explain the gear your band uses live and in the studio?
Dan: Gibson Les and SG, Mesa Triple Rectifier (used to belong to Ritchie Sambora) mesa cab, and all his pedals, Velcroed securely to a home- made pedal board. He loves the digital delay. For the record we ran him through a Marshall JSM and the rectifier. We liked it at the time...

Pat: SG, ibanez, Mesa dual rectifier, Marshall 900 cab. Pat has a red fishing tackle box covered with sharpie marker where he keeps stuff. When opened, cables, strings, picks powerstrips and Mountain Dew bottles fly everywhere. When ever anything is missing, it is in Pat's box.

Tim: Well... He has an Ampeg B4R head with no top, and the brains showing. You have to flick the little fan to get it moving, then play. Luckily he bought a new SVTPro and the Ampeg 8X10 cab. Tim had an awesome blond colored Washburn that we did the album with. It got stolen at a church show in Hesperia. We don't know who took it. But we will find you.

Casey: Interesting, Casey currently plays Orange County Drums and Percussion, recently received an endorsement from Truth drums. So he will soon have a fully custom Truth set.

VMU: I know you guys are going to hit the road soon. How long will you be out and any big festivals/openers or is this your guy's headline tour?
Mike: We are doing thirteen days with the Extreme tour, which is a tour with X- games style sports, and about eight bands every night. We will be with them from Florida to Louisiana. We are touring our way out to Florida, and touring our way back, so we plan on 26 days, and 25 shows. No big openers that we know of, except maybe for Spoken, who are supposed to be part of the Extreme tour.

VMU: What were some of the worst experiences playing live?
Mike: Once we got to a club and the guy told us since we didn't sell 8,979,968 tickets, we would have to play last, that is, 7th. We got on stage, there was a guy putting chairs up on tables, and our wives. We walked off stage and didn't even look at the promoter. Oh and every time we have ever played Reflections, (4 or 5) Rich SCREAMS at Dan. Only Dan. I think he hates him.

VMU: We have recently placed Istra on the "Detached System: Complete" V.1 compilation album. How did all of you feel being on a disc with so many different styles of groups and artists?
Mike: It's good, everyone sticks out. Maybe people won't get bored of the disc after 2 songs.

VMU: Could you explain some of your musical influences?
Mike: We are influenced differently. In high school I only listened to punk music, Dan only listened to 80's metal. We are all different, but of course there's the obvious influences, and we would all agree on the awesomeness of a few bands, Deftones, Blindside, Project86, Refused.. a few more I'm sure. It's strange when we write, and I like it. No matter how brutally metal a riff Dan might write, Pat and Tim aren’t going to play the same way, so it comes out nice.

VMU: How are the other members doing these days? I heard Pat recently got married?
Mike: Yes. The cake was awesome. Everyone else is good. Although homeless or between jobs, we're all still good.

VMU: Who currently manages the band?
Mike: We are sans management.

VMU: Quickly back to recording. What kind of vocal mic did you use for both [of] your releases?
Mike: I don't remember "A Mind Awake" but for "One Cold Way" it was Shure KSM 44.

VMU: Could you explain your lyrics and how often do you guys practice?
Mike: E-mail me back and tell me which lyrics you want me to explain. We practice twice a week.

VMU: What do you think about the Christian and Secular market today?
Mike: I try not to. But I have noticed they are mirror images of each other, except one has a potty mouth.

VMU: Anything to look forward to for Istra in the future?
Mike: We are hoping to record 5-6 more songs for an EP before we leave in May, and have it out when we come back.

VMU: Thanks Mike for your time, any last words?
Mike: No... Dang it!

VM Underground
April 5, 2004